West Long Branch Man Sexually Assaulted Cherry Hill Child: Police

by Anthony Bellano

CHERRY HILL, NJ — A West Long Branch man has been arrested and charged with 22 counts related to the sexual assault of a 12-year-old Cherry Hill girl between May 1 and July 1 of this year, authorities announced Wednesday evening.

Among the charges 20-year-old Anthony M. Woods faces are sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child, Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo, Merchantville Police Chief Wayne Bauer and Cherry Hill Police Chief William Monaghan said.

Woods met the girl online and initiated the exchange of sexually explicit photos between the two, authorities said. He also got her address. He picked her up at her home in Cherry Hill and brought her to Merchantville, where police allege he sexually assaulted her.

On Tuesday morning, law enforcement executed search warrants at his home and his car. Police seized electronic devices from his house for further analysis at the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office. They also seized his car as evidence.

Woods was processed and remanded to the Camden County Correctional Facility pending a first court appearance and a pretrial detention hearing. Under recent criminal justice reform rules, the court may order Woods to be detained without bail or released with conditions.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims and Crime Scene Units, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the Merchantville Police Department, the West Long Branch Police Department, and the Cherry Hill Police Department.

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